The mission of AMTAS is to provide its members with opportunities to learn beyond the classroom, to gain confidence in their individual ability to become music therapists, and to form friendships and professional relationships which will continue into their personal and professional lives following graduation.

Executive Board

Freshman

Shannon DeJoseph

Why Music Therapy: I wanted to combine my passion for music with my passion for helping people.

Prefferred Population: I would love to work with people with mental disorders.

Alexandra Damiano

Instrument: Voice

Why Music Therapy: I chose music therapy because I honestly because I honestly couldn't think of anything more rewarding to do with my life.

Preffered Population: I want to work with troubled teens.

Molly Dutton

Instrument: Clarinet

Why Music Therapy: I chose music therapy because I love music and I also love working with people. I wanted to share my love of music to help those who will benefit from it.

Preferred Population: I would like to work with people with cognitive or developmental disabilities.

Kat Long

Instrument: Voice

Why Music Therapy: I've never felt more drawn to an idea or subject than I am to music therapy. I think it's what will make me the most happy while giving the most back to one community.

Preferred Population: I want to work the with drug rehabilitation population.

Rachell Miller

Instrument: Saxophone

Why Music Therapy: I was a music education and social work major at one point so I wanted to fuse my two passions together.

Preferred Population: I want to work with the elderly or with people with drug addictions.

Sophomore

Brittnee Danielle Dillion

Instrument: Flute

Why Music Therapy: I thought at some level I wanted to be a teacher but not a band director or only teaching lessons. I 've always had a heart for people with disabilities but I didn't want to give up music. My private lessons teacher mentioned it in one our lessons; I did some research, observed a real MT in action, and was hooked!

Preferred Population: The populations I am interested in working with are children and/or geriatrics.

Leslie Nicole Green

Instrument: Percussion

Why Music Therapy: I love music and am absolutely fascinated by the power of music. I have family members with disabilites and want to use the gifts I was given to help the lives of others.

Preferred Population: I want to work with emotionally disturbed adolescence.

Katie Hukill

Instrument: Voice

Why Music Therapy: I chose muisc therapy because it combines the two things I love most, music and helping people. Besides, how many other music majors have a 99% chance of having a job right out of college?

Preferred Population: I want to work with the elderly or people with Alzheimer's.

Caitlin Kraus

Instrument: Piano

Why Music Therapy: There is nothing I am more passionate about than music. There is nothing that moves me more than music. As somebody who knows hoe powerful music is on the mind and body, I cannot imagine a more rewarding, fulfilling, and meaningful career than music therapy. The opportunity to help people through music is something I wouldn't trade for the world.

Preferred Population: I would most likely work with adolescence in psychiatric and/or correctional facilities.

Junior

Brittany Lesch

Instrument: Viola

Why Music Therapy: After a science fair project in eighth grade, music therapy seemed like a great way to cause positive changes in people's lives. I have a cousin with autism, another cousin with Praeter-Willi Syndrome, and an uncle with Parkinson's; growing up, I have become very comfortable with persons with disabilities. It will be great to assist people like them to have a better quality of life through music.

Preferred Population: I would like to work with geriatric and MRDD populations.

Seon Kim

Instrument: Piano

Why Music Therapy: I thought it would be cool if I could help people with music that I like.

Preferred Population: I would like to work with children

Jennifer Zink

Instrument: Trumpet

Why Music Therapy: I chose music therapy as my major after shadowing a music therapist in my home town. I wanted to use my talents to help others.

Preferred Population: I want to work with pediatric or MRDD populations.

Senior

Tracy-Jane Theresa Gillespie

Instrument: Piano

Why Music Therapy: Music Therapy combines my favorite fields: music, biology, and special education. I also think that providing an effective yet engaging treatment is important for many populations.

Preferred Populations: I would like to work with people with physical and cognitive disabilites.

Michael James McGaughy

Instrument: Trombone

Why Music Therapy: I originally wanted to be a performance major, but I felt that music therapy could be a more stable living and prove to be more beneficial to others.

Preferred Population: I would like to work with hospice or hospital populations.

Sarah M. Paczak

Instrument: Voice

Why Music Therapy: I wanted to combine my passion for music with my passion to help people with special needs and the answer was...MUSIC THERAPY!

Preferred Population: I hope to work with a variety of populations, but I feel a strong pull towards both hospital and special needs populations.

Allison Purcell

Instrument: Voice

Why Music Therapy: I love the concept of using music to reach other non-musical goals.

Preferred Population: I would love to work with geriatrics and preschool populations.

Amanda Skaggs

Instrument: Euphonium

Why Music Therapy: I came to this school as a marine biology major and I learned that it wasn't what I wanted to do with my life. When I found music therapy, it allowed me to combine my passions for music and helping people to create a life long career.

Preferred Population: I would like to work with psychiatric and developmentally disabled populations.

Amy Tollafield

Instrument: Violin

Why Music Therapy: I wanted to do something with music for a career, but was also very interested in psychology. Music therapy is a perfect combination!

Preferred Population: I am mainly interested in working with emotionally disturbed adolescence or anywhere in the mental health system.

Maureen C. Unger

Instrument: Cello

Why Music Therapy: It's the career for me.

Preferred Population: I would like to work with the MRDD and mental health populations.

Graduate Equivalency

Wai Ying Polly Pang

Instrument: Piano

Why Music Therapy: I chose music therapy because I like to help people.

Preferred Population: I would like to work with children.

Jeffrey C. Wolfe

Instrument: Percussion

Why Music Therapy: I feel music therapy is the right career choice for me. It combines my love for music and abilities with the opportunity to help people in need. Because of my background with multiple populations, I feel I have the knowledge and skill that could benefit individuals referred to music therapy. Additionally, music therapy offers an emphasis towards systematic research. This idea enables me to stay current with one of my true passions; the role of music and its psychological and physiological effect on people.

Preferred Populations: I would like to work with children, adolescents, and people with developmental disabilities.

Sarah Grace Butler

Instrument: Voice

Why Music Therapy: Music therapy is the perfect way to combine my passion of music and working with people of special needs.

Preferred Population: I would like to work with children with disabilities.

Kristen Anne Johnson

Instrument: Piano

Why Music Therapy: I chose music therapy as a profession when I read about how music therapists use their music skills to increase an individuals well being and goal areas.

Preferred Population: I would like to work with the hospice population, or within a hospital setting using an individual approach with patients instead of group therapy.

Mimi Kobayashi

Instrument: Piano

Why Music Therapy: Music really worked when I myself had some difficulties in life!

Preferred Population: I would like to work with mental health and possibly the elderly population.

Anthea Yu-Chin Lin

Instrument: Piano

Why Music Therpay: I was inspired by a former student who had emotional disturbances, and this experience lead me to a career in music therapy!

Graduate

Erin Kathleen Spring, MT-BC

Instrument: Voice

Why Music Therapy: I wanted to use music to improve the quality of life in others.

Preferred Population: I like working with medical and hospice populations, but I love all populations.

Faculty

Michael Thomas Kellogg, Sr. MM, MT-BC

Instrument: Piano

Why Music Therapy: I did volunteer work as a teenager through my church with underprivileged children at a child care instititution in Washington D.C.. I liked the idea of working in a social servce profession using music experiences as a medium. I learned about the field by looking at a bulletin from the College of Music at Loyola University in New Orleans and felt good about the curriculum and field after reading it.

Preferred Population: I like working with both MRDD and Geriatric.

Kamile Geist, MA, MT-BC

Instrument: Clarinet

Why Music Therapy: I chose music therapy as a career because I had a chance to observe Mary Jo Ard, a music therapy is the Waco Independent School District work when I was an undergraduate music education student. She was absolutely amazing. I was shocked with how music could help kids with disabilities. At that point, I felt it was my calling to do the same.

Preferred Population: I like all populations. My top three are autism, Alzheimer's, and adolescents.

Anita Louise Steele, MM, MT-BC

Instrument: Piano

Why Music Therapy: I was interested in having a career in the helping professions. As a student heavily involved in music, music therapy seemed to be a natural choice.

Preferred Population: I like working with elementary age individuals with autism and developmentally delayed young people and adults.